Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2008-09: Mark Visentin played in 23 games in his OHL rookie season for the Niagara IceDogs. He posted a 3.31 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage while compiling a 5-11-2-1 record.

2009-10: Visentin carried the load for the IceDogs, playing in 55 games for that club. He turned in a 2.99 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage, going 24-26-0-5 on the season. He also appeared in 5 playoff games for the IceDogs, finishing with a 3.54 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. Visentin played for Team Orr at the 2010 Top Prospects Game.

2010-11: Visentin was named the OHL Goaltender of the Year and skated for Canada at the 2011 U20 World Junior Championship. He appeared in 46 games for the Niagara IceDogs during the regular season and was 30-15 with nine losses coming in overtime. He had 4 shutouts with a 2.52 GAA and .917 save percentage. After finishing second in their division the IceDogs reached the OHL semifinals and in 14 playoff games Visentin was 9-5 with 1 shutout, a 2.55 GAA and .929 save percentage. Visentin was in net for four games for Canada at the junior tournament and was 3-1 with the only loss coming in the gold medal game. Russia made a monumental comeback in that game, scoring five third-period goals to overcome a 3-0 deficit. Visentin finished the tournament with a 2.01 GAA and .923 save percentage.

2011-12: Visentin was one of the OHL’s top goalies in his fourth season with Niagara and skated for the bronze medal-winning Canada squad at the 2012 U20 World Junior Championship. Playing for an Ice Dogs team that finished first in the Central Division and allowed a league-low 169 goals, Visentin led the OHL in goals against (1.99) and shutouts (10) and was 30-9-2 with a .926 save percentage. Visentin played 20 playoff games as Niagara reached the OHL Finals and was 13-7 with a 2.51 goals against and .915 save percentage. Splitting time with Devils prospect Scott Wedgewood at the WJC, he appeared in four games and was 3-1 with 1 shutout for Canada, with the loss coming in relief of Wedgewood in the semifinals against Russia. Visentin finished with a 1.43 goals against and .644 save percentage for the tournament.

2012-13: Visentin shared the goaltending duties for Coyotes AHL affiliate Portland with veteran Chad Johnson in his first pro season. In 30 games he was 15-12-1 with 2 shutouts and had a 2.98 goals against and .903 save percentage. The Pirates finished second in the Atlantic Division and were swept by Eastern Conference champion Syracuse in the first round. Johnson started all three playoff games. Visentin played one ECHL game for Gwinnett, stopping 26 of 28 shots in a Gladiators win.

2013-14

Visentin was the clear number one goalie for the Portland Pirates in 2013-14. Unfortunately, the Pirates were outgunned on a nightly basis and Visentin was consistently under duress. Although his squad finished at the bottom of the AHL standings, Visentin posted a relatively impressive 3.25 GAA and .902 save percentage. He also made his NHL debut, a losing effort against the San Jose Sharks on April 12th, 2014.

Talent Analysis

Visentin is an athletic goaltender with good size and excellent rebound control. On top of his
calm demeanor in goal, Visentin has shown tremendous character and leadership qualities as
someone who leads by example through his strong work ethic.

Future

Going into training camp, Visentin is the clearcut number one in Portland, Arizona’s AHL
affiliate. He needs to continue his solid play while elevating his game in key game situations.
Arizona has a slew of young goaltending prospects coming through the pipeline meaning
Visentin must continue to improve to allow management to justify investing one of their few
roster spots on his continued development.

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Photo: Chris Brown has been one of the top forwards for the Portland Pirates in 2013-14, which has earned him time with the NHL club (courtesy of Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images)

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Photo: Rookie pro Lucas Lessio broke camp with the Coyotes but was assigned to AHL Portland after three NHL games (courtesy of Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images)

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Photo: Coming off a strong rookie season for AHL Portland, defenseman Brandon Gormley remains the top prospect in the Coyotes organization (courtesy of Fred Kfoury/Icon SMI)

In 1995, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Tie Domi knocked New York Rangers defenseman Ulf Samuelsson unconscious with a sucker punch that is still considered one of the dirtiest plays in recent NHL history. This year, their sons could be the ones connecting, on scoring plays rather than right hooks.

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Photo: Rookie goaltender Mark Visentin, the Coyotes 27th overall pick in 2010, appeared in 30 games for the AHL’s Portland Pirates in 2012-13 (courtesy of Fred Kfoury/Icon SMI)

For the first time in four seasons, the Phoenix Coyotes missed the playoffs. After having their most successful postseason in franchise history, the Coyotes struggled to string wins together until it was too late. With a slew of young defensemen looking to make the jump to the next level, the Coyotes are in a position where a good forward can fall right into their laps at the 12th pick.